thought wall summary: march 2017 -...

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THOUGHT WALL SUMMARY: MARCH 2017

Introduction

This document contains the results from the Imagine Greeley Kick-off Workshop held on March 3, 2017. The nearly 160 community members who attended the workshop learned about the major trends that are anticipated to shape the City’s future, explored issues and opportunities in a number of key focus areas, and provided feedback on the vision, core values, and policies included in the current Comprehensive Plan.

This document provides a summary the results of the Thought Wall exercise, which provided participants with an opportunity to share their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing the City in the future. During the exercise, workshop participants were asked to generate 6 challenges, 6 opportunities, and 6 celebrations (or achievements) for five key focus areas: Housing Access; Growth and City Form; Economic Health and Diversification; Livability; and Public Capital and Operations Planning. Participants were also given the options to provide feedback on issues not related to these topics, grouped under an “Other” category. Results of the exercise are provided in the following pages.

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Quick Reference

HOUSING ACCESS .................................................................................................................................... 3

Challenges ................................................................................................................................................. 3

Opportunities ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Celebrations .............................................................................................................................................. 8

LIVABILITY ............................................................................................................................................. 11

Challenges ................................................................................................................................................ 11

Opportunities .......................................................................................................................................... 14

Celebrations ............................................................................................................................................. 15

PUBLIC CAPITAL AND OPERATIONS PLANNING ..................................................................................... 16

Challenges ................................................................................................................................................16

Opportunities .......................................................................................................................................... 17

Celebrations .............................................................................................................................................19

ECONOMIC HEALTH AND DIVERSIFICATION............................................................................................ 21

Challenges ................................................................................................................................................ 21

Opportunities ......................................................................................................................................... 23

Celebrations ............................................................................................................................................ 25

GROWTH AND CITY FORM ..................................................................................................................... 27

Challenges ............................................................................................................................................... 27

Opportunities ......................................................................................................................................... 30

Celebrations ............................................................................................................................................ 32

OTHER ................................................................................................................................................... 34

............................................................................................................................................... 34 Challenges

......................................................................................................................................... 35 Opportunities

............................................................................................................................................ 37 Celebrations

Imagine Greeley Thought Wall Summary: March 2017 - Housing Access

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HOUSING ACCESS

Challenges

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as challenges under the topic of housing access. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as challenges facing the City and community regarding housing access. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Affordability and Housing Costs

• Affordable housing on developed land

• Affordable housing and homelessness initiatives

• Keep housing prices (costs) relative to median wages

• Lack of affordable housing

• Lack of workforce housing

• Water cost/availability for development

• New hires don’t live in our city, they purchase in other communities

• Affordability

• Greeley needs more housing for low income residents – both to own and to rent

• Adequate low income housing in safe positive environment

• Development fees

• Affordable and low income housing with a real community

• Large segment of population need housing subsidies (section 8, low income housing)

• Long (up to 2 yrs.) waiting list for section 8/low income housing

• Affordable housing west of Greeley

• Creating lower cost housing opportunities

• Affordable housing

• Maintain affordable rental housing

• Adequate supply of affordable housing

• Encourage more affordable housing development

• Cost of rent takes too much of disposable income

• Affordable housing options/types for the top employer jobs @ JBS and Leprino and call centers

• Affordability of rental housing

• Rising costs

• High rental costs

• Affordable senior housing

• Affordable housing that is livable/respectable outside of college students (rent)

• Rising rent rates


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• Affordable housing where part time workers can afford to rent

• Lowest income populations (30% AMI) are being shut out of housing opportunities

• How to “operate” low income housing projects (no funding HUD subsidies needed)

• Lower cost homes are needed

• Affordability

• Availability and affordability for lowest income levels

• Rapid increase in sales prices – single family homes

• New low income housing

• Lack of low cost housing renters and low income homeownership opportunities

• Single family less than $250k availability

• Affordability

• Affordability and access

• Affordable houses

• Affordable for lower income residents

• High rent costs

• Low income housing

• Lack of government incentives for affordable home ownership

• Availability for all residents economically

• Cost of construction, money lending

• Lack of affordable housing

• Affordable rentals less than 50% of income.

• Lack of affordable housing for low-income families

• Cost to develop and build housing

• Lack of affordable land for residential development

Housing Supply

• Lack of inventory

• Land developed

• Development on one side of town

• Will our single family home permits support our economic development focus?

• Low inventory

• Create housing in all sectors of city – avoid moving all in one direction (i.e. west)

• Limited inventory

• Vacancy rates

• Lower number of units per year

• Lack of lots available for new construction

• Aging population and special needs for 65+ year old residents

• Need more housing

• Distribution/location of housing

• Availability of homes to buy

• Developed land

• Build ready lots (i.e. decline in recent years)

• Ownership turnover

• No lots to build

• Development in all areas of the city (N,S,E,W)

• Low inventory

• Low inventory of housing (limited houses on market, limited range of pricing)

• More lots for high end housing

Housing Types/Diversity

• Have too much low-end construction

• Housing forms need to be more diverse (townhomes/duplex/etc.)

• Limited housing for young professionals moving to Greeley

• To provide adequate housing for all populations

• Need more multi-family housing (apts) for all income levels, especially low income

• Maintain balance with student housing and family housing

• How to encourage infilling and greater density to support commercial services?

• Large apartment complex

• Choice of housing stock (size, price, type)

• More multi-family being built at higher densities

• Lack of diversity in the west

• Millennials and Gen Z are not interested in single family dwellings

• Senior opportunities

• No more high income housing

• Mix of housing types

• Advocate for change of laws to encourage development of condos


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• Condo building law limits access to lower cost home ownership

• Adequate “step-up” housing

• Availability in price ranges

• Increase density to minimize impact

• More renters

• Elderly housing

• Affordable housing, care facilities for elderly

• Providing diverse housing options, particularly “the middle” i.e. duplex, triplex, attached singles

• More diverse housing options, age income housing type stand-alone multi-family.

• Visibility of disabled and elderly housing

• High end homes are moving out of town (Windsor)

• Density centers

• We need more handicap accessible homes

• % rates will increase to buy

• Availability/variety in affordable housing options

• Higher end homes, how do you draw people with higher incomes?

• Need for more “lockdown” facilities for elderly

• Provide a mix of housing value to fit population

• More multifamily units

• Accessibility, independent living

• Lack of housing so that older adults can age in place

• More diverse types of housing

• Student housing (UNC) non university housing

• Student housing within 1 mile of UNC

• The 40+ square miles of Greeley tends to dilute density

Infrastructure, Services, and Amenities

• Support for people with addiction issues & mental health areas in general

• Support for foster families and the children in need of foster care

• Cost of roads/infrastructure to support

• Adequate senior citizen assisting living homes, etc.

• My greatest concern is water availability and basic infrastructure to handle growth

• Specialized needs (homeless population increase)

• Rebuild sewer lines in “old” blocks, many are not up to code

• To provide infrastructure and utilities to developing areas

• Cost of development in order to make projects work financially. Needs to maximize number of units on property (hard to afford single family/duplex construction)

• Cost of developing land into lots

• Need a homeless shelter

Neighborhoods

• The slum lords that trash the neighborhood

• We’re spreading west but losing good livable housing in the center. Also ghettoizing

• Downtown housing redevelopment – is there a plan?

• New construction single family homes are all “cookie-cutter” not visually pleasing

• Less apartments, they decrease values in neighborhood

• Tried to put apartments in our neighborhood, more traffic, crime, noise, etc.

• Most people I have talked to want more single family instead of apartments. Apartments drive down home and property values

• Greeley seems to be divided (east side/west side). Make community more cohesive

• Conflicts with existing uses and landowers (NIMBY)

Other

• Environmental concerns

• Maintain integrity of community, culture, condition, safety

• New policies to protect renters who are getting taken advantage of.

• Educating residents on how to be good tenants and/homeowners and maintain properties

• Decrease regulations


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• Attracting interest for north side housing

• Growth is focused on west part of town in higher cost development

• Fees, planning time table, public works (drainage requirements), street size requirements

• Connectivity of streets more collector streets

• City employees don’t live in city limits?

• Transportation to/from housing

• Access to education

• Managing sprawl

Opportunities

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as opportunities facing the City and community regarding housing access.

Affordability

• Rising income levels

• Support and encourage means to provide additional affordable housing units for rent and for sale

• Opportunity to keep affordable

• Enough at each rental price

• Have less than 50% of community with housing burden

• Additional options for low income/disability

• Lower costs than neighbors

• City recognize need for affordable housing

• Create housing for people of all income levels

• Keep affordable housing areas in Arlington and Hillside neighborhoods

• Habitat for humanity

• Median sales price increasing

Densification

• Build downtown more dense and increased height

• Density centers

• Vertical downtown

• Build apartments/condos downtown while land is affordable

• Downtown redevelopment and opportunity to densify residential downtown

• High rise near UNC

• Do more high density housing

• Housing in downtown Greeley

• Continue to build higher density housing close to services and recreation

• Educate public on housing types to avoid NIMBY attitudes towards higher density projects

• More compactness in development

• New construction in centralized areas


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• Capitalize on trends of more multi-family and mixed use, especially near UNC

Incentives/Regulations/Funding

• Allow free market to work

• Low interest rates

• Have all apartment owners adhere to basic guidelines

• Getting an incentive to develop new subdivisions

• Infill development encouraged by modernized zoning regs

• Incentives for gentrification of older neighborhoods

• Continue incentivizing for homeowners in downtown Greeley

• Address impact fees for control without bias

• Find a format to allow the use of metropolitan districts to focus development

New Development

• Capitalize on land availability to produce diverse developments

• Land availability

• Significant room within the growth area to develop housing deliberately

• Homes with easy access to 34 & 85

• New growth west Greeley 10th St. expansion to US 34

• More buildable lots and availability for builder competition

• New construction on the west side of Greeley

• Fastest growing city in Northern Colorado

• Having the 62+ communities

• The amount of apartments being built at 83rd Ave

• Available lots

• More growth in city

• Open spaces for combination communities (diversity of ages close together)

• Develop in all directions of community (N,S,E,W)

• Space within the city to build

• Use environmental standards

• Build with solar automatic

• Provide space for exclusive elderly living – mobile homes

• New housing

• Continued smart growth westward

• Development sites with infrastructure

• New addition to Guadalupe

• Transitional housing availability

• Continue towards promontory

• Individuals/families in transition (varying generations)

• Good space to grow/expand housing

• Using new tech develop for improved houses

• East Greeley growth and development (downtown, UNC, Industry)

• Economic health, more rental units

• Mixed neighborhoods smaller homes with bigger

• Multi-age units – allow generations to work and learn together

• Available land if developed thoughtfully

• Increase in construction, senior taken care of

• Additional housing

• City should look at metro districts (allow better amenities, larger lots)

• Build senior living facility with restricted access to seniors leaving (Alzheimer’s type patients)

• Expandable by open space and future developments

• Land – private area. High end housing

Reinvestment

• Improve low income neighborhoods in terms of housing

• Refurbishing standing rental structures

• Encourage more developers to use what is already there (refurbish older homes when possible)

• Identifying parcels for redevelopment

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• Great opportunity for redevelopment in older neighborhoods

• Remodel centralized buildings for housing. Revitalize

• Ability to rehab a lot of older homes surrounding those manufacturing jobs

Other

• Without sidewalks next to streets – Glenmere area awful for pedestrians.

• Still have time to think more strategically

• More availability of buyers

• Job creation

• Homelessness plan

• Growth in construction industry (jobs)

• Advantages to incoming business, to provide better paying jobs

• Realtors work with major employers to help new hires with housing

• Student housing university

Celebrations

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as celebrations under the topic of housing access. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as celebrations related to housing access over the last 5 to 10 years.

Affordable Housing

• Influx of federal funds for new multi-family “affordable” units

• Low income housing close to transport

• Housing cost burden has decreased in the last 4-5 years

• Mission village (affordable housing project)

• New opportunities for formerly homeless to help turn their lives around

• Habitat projects

• Build-out of habitat in the Billie Martinez neighborhood

• Low income housing development

• Habitat builds

• Housing is affordable in Greeley

• Relative cheap housing


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• To develop a strategy for providing access to affordable housing and shelter for homeless needs

• We are still in very affordable area to live

Growth and New Development

• New developments of housing starts

• Sustained growth

• Downtown growth and convention center/hotel

• The new project at 4th & 23rd

• Growth of populations

• Less vacancy

• Variety of builders available for new construction

• Continued growth

• Hotels coming to Greeley

• Multi-family increase to 50% share of new units

• New construction in multiple areas

• More development

• New housing development in west Greeley

• People want to live here

• The new homeless facility north on 11th by Guadalupe Center

• Project 23rd Ave at 4th St

• Infrastructure in place for future growth

• Building is happening

• Houses for all

• Jobs increase

• Homes in east Greeley

• GORA redevelopment of downtown Greeley

• 2,300 housing units completed since 2014

• Good development standards continue to be maintained

• Permit ready single family homes

• Lots of additional housing west of 47th Ave.

• Interest in growth

• Recovery from foreclosures

• New units (i.e. owl ridge, Poudre River ranch)

• New businesses, cheese factory, UC health

Housing Diversity

• Increase in higher density housing = lower environmental footprint

• Concurrent development of single family and multi-family residential

• The diverse housing availability in west Greeley

• More kinds of housing have been added recently (i.e. multi-family, infill development)

• Multifamily has increased in the last few years

• New senior housing

• More density of apartments downtown

• Recent new multi-family housing

• Apartment growth

• Newer retirement communities

• Multi-family integrated near or within existing single family neighborhoods

• Multi-family west of 71st Ave seems successful and thoughtful development

• Diverse housing types citywide, old and new construction

• Huge growth in rental units

• Appropriate types of housing have been built to date (i.e. mission village, habitat for humanity, Guadalupe center)

• Building new apartment complexes

• Putting senior housing next to senior center

Partnerships

• Cooperative of UNC, NCMC, City in G-Hope

• Program at UNC, city and Dist. 6 to provide down payment assistance for a home purchase in parts of Greeley

• Partnership with Swift & Pines

Reinvestment

• Older neighborhoods well-maintained

• Rehabbing of old houses downtown, but brings a different type of resident, not low income.

• Offer landlords economic incentive to rehab existing homes for rent to low income tenants

• Expansion and remodel of Bonnell


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Other

• 56% homeowners

• Very low property tax (I think it should be higher)

• Planning and transportation

• Process accommodate development

• Reverberation of houses in sunrise neighborhood

• Increase in open space

• Assessed valuations appears improving

• Increased property rates

• Water conservation

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LIVABILITY

Challenges

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as challenges under the topic of livability. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as challenges facing the City and community regarding livability. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

General

• Maintain positive community leadership

• Food desert/retail desert east of 23rd Ave

• General appearance of our city: rough streets unattractive business and residential areas

• Improving beauty and cleanliness of Greeley

• Cleanliness

• Small town feel without much to engage in

• We don’t seem to have much momentum in identifying buildings worthy of historic preservation

• Comprehensive Plan doesn’t address “health & well-being” –it should!

• Retrofitting infrastructure improvements in old areas

Economy

• Higher wages to attract better, innovative teachers

• Residents take discretionary $ to neighboring areas

• Poverty rate for under 18 population plays into success in schools difficult to protect the residents from that person

Environment

• Restrict oil and gas development close to schools and neighborhoods

• Need good, easy, accessible recycling program

• Improved monitoring of water and air near gas and oil sites

• Oil & gas drilling in city

• Need for easy recycling


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• 50% of yard must be grass (yet we want to conserve water)

Access to Services and Amenities

• Not enough retail opportunities in all parts of Greeley

• How to have more restaurants right next to UNC campus

• No grocery, bank, etc. store on north side

• More diverse shopping vendors/merchants

• Maintaining ready access to parks and natural areas

• Access to parks; need more trails

• Preserving open space helps Greeley compete for new residents, as well as improving health and quality of life. All difficult to monetize

• Need more recreational opportunities for physically and mentally handicapped people, especially children

• Better parks for east and south Greeley

• Services on east side of town (i.e., groceries)

• Attract large entertainment locations (i.e., The Summit)

• Maintain or improve basic services

• Provide amenities without over-pricing development costs

• Providing water rec (i.e., swim beach, swim pools (public), river kayaking

• How to increase density of residences to support nifty commercial services close in and to not sprawl too soon

• Expand services and build buildings to keep up

• We still can’t seem to interconnect our paths & trails to schools and to parks

• How to encourage parks, trails and open space development without infringing on property rights

• Open space/housing balance

Housing

• The price of housing has exploded

• Maintain competitive rental rates and quality housing

• Slow housing growth

• More diverse living options throughout city; not just west

• Rehab old blocks; rehab housing on outside- park area in center for “old” and “young” –each have their own block

Education

• Education from what I can tell we are okay, except District 6 needs more money—taxes?

• Schools are underfunded compared to neighboring communities

• Disposal of items like mattresses and electronics is difficult

• School buildings are outdated and overcrowded (safety, accessibility, marketing, enjoyment)

• Families send children to schools outside the community –go to Windsor/Severance

• Hire more teachers to lower teacher/student ratio

• Adequate facilities to support non-profits youth programs

• Improve K-12 education

• 4th Grade Reading Scores/Multilingual Learners

• 4th Grade reading; improve bilingual efforts in all District 6 language skills—bilingual learning benefits everyone!

• Schools that are able and will work together in educating students – preparing them for the workforce

• Mediocre public education

• School district is not supported by residents; voters (Mill Levy) need to boos support and partnership with community

• Improve test scores in schools

• Better education; helping struggling schools more, having schools align

• Building and maintaining all the amenities people want at an affordable level

• Increasing proficiency throughout school district in reading


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• No home language texts in classrooms to support 1st language, which will increase reading levels

Population and Growth

• How might we hold on to our values and goals in light of the growth?

• To provide quality of life over variety of life stages

• We need to address our Muslim/refugee problem—some, many people not happy

• Integration of developmentally disabled into the community

• Providing help with integrating immigrating peoples into city life

• Keeping up with growth

• Racism. We need more opportunities for inter-ethnic interaction—maybe food fair

• Keep UNC/young people in Greeley

• Vast diversity of populace

• Growing senior population

• To work toward integration and collaboration of our people and services

• Lack of integration

• More interaction opportunities between the various faith communities

• Provide more opportunities for low income children to be involved in music and art lessons

• Creating an inclusive community AND moving forward

• Homeless population

• To include all residents to that all feel welcome

• So many laws have been passed to provide the right for mentally ill people to live in the community that when a severely mentally ill person is in an apartment building, it is extremely difficult to protect the residents from that person

Public Safety

• Lower crime rate

• So many gangs and so much crime committed by gang members and other repeat criminals who are in this country illegally. There are many illegals who are assets to our community- get rid of those who are not!

• Lower crime rate

• High crime rate compared to our neighbors to the west

• Public middle schools are having some challenges and need drug abuse programs

• Crime rate is 2 x 4 city average. Need to decrease

• Violent crime rate (while driven by a small # of people) is a hard statistic to overlook when comparing communities to NOCO. Need more $ to support public safety

• Provide for more police officers

• The Police Department needs to call ICE when an illegal alien commits a crime

• Countering crime rates and the current upward trend

Transportation

• Walkability –poor crosswalk and sidewalk safety

• People need to be able to walk/bike to schools churches, shopping & services. Mixed development, not just housing.

• Walkable community

• Traffic on 20th, 35th, and 34th (horrible)

• Too many apartments are creating traffic problems—try to get down 20th Street or 35th

• Traffic congestion near new commercial growth

• Auto—too many for our streets—have no answer

• To fix roads and sidewalks and more bike lanes—snow off sidewalks

• Drive times on Hwy 34 during peak hours

• How to deal with traffic flow/intensity in the area and use of open land!

• We need a sidewalk improvement system to upgrade all sidewalks

• Traffic on Centerpiece already too busy adding more business

• Highway 34

• Traffic needs for flow need overpasses on Highway 34


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• Challenge follow though in tax initiatives that have been passed; fill potholes

• Train noise

• Highway 85 noise

• Parking

• Walkable communities

• Too noisy; music, car mufflers, garbage trucks, broken factory fans, cars racing on 10th and 9th St. motorcycles racing….NOISE.

• Walking paths around city

• Short-cuts to downtown from campus; include college students

Opportunities

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as opportunities under the topic of livability. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as opportunities facing the City and community regarding livability.

General

• House the homeless

• Expand and encourage arts and culture

• More trees along major thoroughfares

Land Use and Development

• Comp plan can get us out of “suburban mindset”

• In the west

• Improvements in shopping and services


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• Create an environment that keeps residents here as well as attracting new residents

• Spaces created to bring together, promote businesses, and raise up ind. To be “better”!

Infrastructure, Services and Amenities

• More parks and open space

• Addition of parks to beautify Greeley

• More resources for police/law enforcement

• Sometimes police is able to enforce code

• More schools

• Hiring teachers ESL specialized

Transportation

• Increase public transportation

• Eliminate train whistle by putting up signs ala Windsor: “no trail whistle”

Celebrations

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as celebrations under the topic of livability. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as celebrations related to livability over the last 5 to 10 years. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

General

• Removed much of unpleasant odors

• Plenty to do

Economy

• Decline of poverty rate

• Downtown is doing better


• Turf at WCSD6 & Monfort Park

• Trail system, park, open space

• Salida Del Sol Dual Immersion School

Public Safety

• Good Police force

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PUBLIC CAPITAL AND OPERATIONS PLANNING

Challenges

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as challenges under the topic of public capital and operations planning. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as challenges facing the City and community regarding public capital and operations planning. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Economy

• Bringing businesses that will bring others from surrounding areas

• How is this planned for an economic downturn re: Greeley City Hall?

Environment

• The city needs to help build an easy to use recycling facility

• No more in-town drilling

• Planning uses a metric of 100 gallons of water per capita/da. However, every person uses, chews, or wears 1900 gallons per day!! Don’t take water from farmers/ag!

Facilities

• Improving D6 school buildings

• Need community center in East Greeley

• Through a parks and rec district, or some such tax-based support provide funding above fee revenue for park operations!

Funding/Costs

• With growth comes needs, and we have a great one in utilities and quality. So keeping and sustaining those…

• Frustration of funding sources and allocation

• To obtain support for new and future projects

• Cost to provide adequate services

• Maintaining sales tax revenues

• Anticipating needs of future growth without overspending current revenue

• Sales tax revenue allocation to roadway maintenance- sales tax percent decline?

• Live within budget!

• How to continue funding? Improvements- extend current taxes?

• More private investment, more lending- the increase in lending facility

• Increase economy by decreasing fees and taxes

Imagine Greeley Thought Wall Summary: March 2017 - Public Capital and Operations Planning

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• We still have a population that is overall anti “any” tax increase

Land Use and Development

• Stop annexing!

• Infrastructure (esp. in East Greeley)- roads, sidewalks, water, etc.

• Developing enough ground to continue growth

• Develop 29th St (58th-68th)

• Maintaining balance vs. growth

Population and Growth

• Adequate public facilities- priorities

• Engage millennials in leadership positions

• More senior classes for 65-75 age group (see Ft. Collins/Loveland/Longmont offerings)

Transportation

• Plan for self-driving (reduce traffic lights, reduce road width, increase “land” access to buildings)

• Bike/transit/walkability

• Wide roads

• More bike lanes and transit—complete streets policy

• Maintain streets including older established areas

• East side-groceries, quality trails, bike paths

• Traffic on 34 becoming a big problem

• Streets continue to deteriorate needs to remain a top priority

• South bound traffic congestion at 65th and US 34

• Parking structure downtown

• Potholes

• Bike paths and lanes- as city grows need safe and healthy ways for people to ambulate. Contributes to overall health of community members.

• Traffic and commuter traffic

• Develop rapid mass transit in area, making it easier for residents to get to work and cut down on CO2 emissions and road use by cars

• Roads and bridges

Opportunities

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as opportunities with respect to public capital and operations planning. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.


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Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as opportunities facing the City and community regarding public capital and operations planning.

Arts and Culture

• Public art in industrial zones

• More dynamic/appealing museum exhibits

• Art museum

• Children’s museum activities for young families

Economy

• Bringing businesses that will bring others from surrounding areas

• How is this planned for an economic downturn re: Greeley City Hall?

• Jobs in construction and occupancy

Education

• City invest in public education

• Closer integration with UNC

Environment

• The city needs to help build an easy to use recycling facility

• No more in-town drilling

• Planning uses a metric of 100 gallons of water per capita/da. However, every person uses, chews, or wears 1900 gallons per day!! Don’t take water from farmers/ag!

Facilities

• Repurpose the Clarion Hotel as the new city hall

• Support public facilities

• Rebuild Greeley West High School

• New senior citizen center

Funding/Costs

• Reduce budget percentage

• Financing for future infrastructure

• City growth will increase capital for city plans

• Well thought out and efficient use of capital

• Public/private financing- connect senior government sponsored project with businesses that cater to seniors

• Return of oil and gas revenues at a sustainable level

• Tax base sufficient to pay for city needs

Growth

• Incentivizing new development/redevelopment in older areas of Greeley

• Plenty of people moving here

• With the influx of new people we have a better chance to change many things

• Restore older buildings. After reading Peggy Ford’s book, it’s sad we’ve already lost so much character

• Look east as well as west (yes!)

• Plenty of available space for growth

• Build for future- a bit more than today’s need

• Work on plan to give Greeley more physical identity

Parks and Open Space

• Opportunity as underdeveloped areas are developed, maintain the focus on providing access to parks and open space

• Park corridors, especially in east Greeley

• Find a way to make the park at Promontory be a city, county, state and US caliber park connected to the Poudre

Transportation

• Additional red route to support west Greeley business areas

• UD – 16th Street Corridor

• Clean up Hwy 85

• Intermodal transit access citywide

• Emphasize alternative transit modes

• Widening 59th to Fort Collins/Severance as a way to go north w/out having to go to I-25 (aka Ribbon of death)

• Sync the traffic lights?

• Public transportation

• More bike lanes and promotion of non-vehicle transportation w/in community

• Development along Poudre trail


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• Continue to focus on road diets while improving arterial flow to minimize traffic

• Create/potential to expand bike and walkability

• Facilitating pedestrian/biking travel along w/expansion of streets

• Roads and bridges on primary streets during non-peak hours

• Transit

• Open 29th Street between T-bone and St. Michael’s

• Project and secure land for major 4-6 lane streets throughout city

• Keeping streets well-maintained

• Trails

• Parking structure downtown

• Begin innovative designs for our roads that support all modes of transportation (vision zero)

• To get an effective, efficient reliable bus system and fix roads, sidewalks, more bike lanes AND snow clear off roads and sidewalks and more bike lanes we would have better quality of life

Infrastructure and Services

• To improve on access and services to the community

• Provide infrastructure in advance to encourage and accommodate new development

• Continued planning for growth (i.e., services)

Quality of Life

• More traffic police at certain intersections

• Renew quality of life tax

• Seek continuation of quality of life funds

Other

• To continue to educate and communicate the public as to what has been done and what needs to be done

• To make a more beautiful city

Celebrations

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as celebrations with respect to public capital and operations planning. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as celebrations related to public capital and operations planning. Comments are organized under overarching topics.


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City Government

• Good communication by City departments with the public

• Great budget management

• Will occur when the city actually listen to citizens

Downtown

• Redevelopment of downtown and 8th Avenue Corridor

• New construction downtown

• Meaningful, beautiful downtown

• Downtown is great!

• New hotel downtown!

• Hotel downtown

Funding/Costs

• People generally feel taxes are being spent wisely

• Street tax approval

Growth

• New buildings going up as we speak!

• Greeley is well-positioned with water and land

• Water resources and ability to support growth

Infrastructure and Public Facilities

• New fire houses

• Capital improvement projects

• Infrastructure investment in major conduit feeders

• Beautiful public facilities – well-maintained; well-designed

• Safety public improvements – 1) New firehouse 11th Ave and 10th Street and 2) Crisis response team as par to 1st response for emergent issues

• The new signs for each of the city parks are great!

Quality of Life

• Family FunPlex

• Quality of life programs – all great!

• Improved facilities – especially downtown and FunPlex

• Passing food tax and quality of life initiatives

• Lots of recreational facilities

• Quality of life projects and future opportunities

• UCCC, Ice Haus, new Schools, improvement of roads, Greeley Unexpected, and on and on

• Aven’s village and other playgrounds

• 70 plus parks/open space

Transportation

• Better buses and safer stops

• Some intersections are better

• GET added 2 new busses that help speed up loading wheel chairs and walkers, etc. Helps to keep buses closer to schedule.

• Bike lanes

• We have more bike paths and lanes now

• Poudre bike trail

• Roads and streets are maintained well given environmental impacts (i.e., snow)

• Roads are clean

• Get students ride free program

• Our wide streets

• Road – right- sizing

• Roads are kept up as needed

• New GET busses and road improvements

• 2a/2b community support

• Passage of 2a

• Bike paths

• Walking trails

• Recent keep Greeley moving

• Upkeep of our public streets

• Very positive changes in public transportation (GET) ex. Improved routes, improved busses, D6 partnership

• Thank you for the new sidewalks, gutters, and street improvements in Sunrise.

• They fixed the gutter and potholes by our house! Just kidding, but it’s awesome. I would say widening of Business Route 34 was huge!

• Road 42 – 4-lane expansion

Other

• Water department water budgets

• At least asking!

• Bright Futures scholarships

• “Imagine Greeley!”

Imagine Greeley Thought Wall Summary: March 2017 - Economic Health and Diversification

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ECONOMIC HEALTH AND DIVERSIFICATION

Challenges

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as challenges with respect to economic health and diversification. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as challenges facing the City and community regarding economic health and diversification. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Economic Development

• More knowledge about what is available for community

• Competition for business from neighboring communities

• Recruitment of new business

• What’s going on with city economic development?

• More support from city government for small business

• Visitors see blighted areas and locate their business in FC, Loveland, or Windsor

• Providing enough services for growth

Education/Workforce Development

• School district perception

• UNC (music, business school, nursing. Keep millennials here

• Supporting schools sufficiently to bring in tech company employers

• Need to invest in district 6 schools in order to attract employers that pay higher wages (pass mill levy & bond)

• Educated/qualified work force

• Educating for the major changes and rate of growth in the future

Industries and Employers

• Bringing in companies that are non-ag and that pay strong mid-point wages or more

• Greeley is keeping up with Health, but we are still going to Ft Collins – why?

• Get larger or high tech employers like Ft. Collins has done in Greeley as salaries have been flat for past 5 years

• Lack of new industry

• Slowdown of oil and gas

• Limited diversified employment sectors

• Shed the agricultural-only or oil/gas-only mantle. Realize that there is a “new economy” upon which to capitalize

• More 24/7 urgent care

• Balance of agriculture and energy development

• To be forward thinking in selecting industries that are future oriented; renewable energy!

• Top 10 employers account for 35% of our employment

• Attracting new types of business with substantial employment opportunities


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• Attracting diverse industry and higher paying wage

• Life span of energy development industry as an economic contributor

• Bring more high tech jobs to Greeley

• Health industry needs including behavioral health for growing aging population

• Too much reliance on oil/gas

• Too narrowly focused, expand diversity of business

• Not relying on one or two large industries

• Bring in large industry that is environmentally safe and doesn’t have a boom/bust cycle

• Reliance on oil/drilling

• Industry diversity

• Too much dependence on JBS Swift

• How to have more IT development in and around Greeley?

• Broaden MFG and food processing

• Need to safeguard our agricultural lands – think thoughtfully about this

• Less dependence on 2-3 employers

• Need more state business

Jobs and Wages

• Bring in better paying jobs

• Large low income population dragging down wage growth and our public school system making it difficult to attract higher paying jobs

• Job prospects

• Lower wages in our major employment industries

• Higher paying jobs, trained and ready workforce

• Bring higher paying jobs to Greeley

• Increase wages for all

• Need more jobs for people with handicaps and few job skills

• Low wage rate for some sections

• Need more employment opportunities for teens

• Our human capital (UNC grads) leaves Greeley upon graduation. We struggle to retain our “best and brightest” by providing high-end jobs. Imagine a 22yr old staying in Greeley for a life-time and buying houses, cars, raising family.

• Attracting companies who pay higher wages

• Gender and race pay disparities

• Continue to provide competitive wages for educators

• Higher paying jobs – develop training programs with business/industry

• Need more business

• Continue to grow higher wage job base

• Lower wages

• High paying jobs

• Promote wage growth without inhibiting industry

• Providing a full range of jobs (white collar, blue, etc.)

• Service industry jobs are low paying – need more living wage jobs

• Diverse job market

• Narrow gap between poverty and top income level

City Processes and Regulations

• Shortening permit process, lessening regulation

• Difficult permitting process

• Change perception of hard-to-do business

• Developing downtown code/land limitations (parking, landscaping, infrastructure due to age)

Retail/Commercial Services

• Entire east side of 8th Ave to city limits devoid of opportunity for shopping, other services

• Grocery store downtown

• Food availability (grocery) in downtown

• Greeley Mall is dying

• Facilitating diversity in future commercial development

• No grocery store downtown

• Unattractive 10th Street store fronts

• More restaurants


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Opportunities

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants with respect to economic health and diversification. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as opportunities to promote economic health and diversification. Comments are organized under overarching topics.


• Annex as far west on Hwy 34 as possible

• Determine needs of other cities and fill their niche business needed in Greeley

• Effective economic development

• Capitalize on what we are and what we already have when looking for new employers (strong Latino community, mature work force, ag/energy enterprise

• Greater incentives for downtown

• New employers looking for cheaper land

• Wellness checks on existing employers to ensure retention

• Growing population should attract new businesses

• Study/research how to bring in big organizations that pay well

• Additional/continued regional partnership and other cities in northern Colorado

• Small businesses, economic development around them

• Small business start-up assistance programs

• Growth of the city

• Pay it forward program

Employers, Jobs, and Wages

• With growth we can attract jobs that provide livable wages

• Great mix of employment diversity – continue to support diversity

• More jobs becoming available and growth

• Greeley seems open to adding almost any business that has a positive impact on the community

• We have people who are underemployed and under paid who would like a better job

• Consider blue collar jobs when soliciting industry

• Diversification

• Supporting small business

• Small businesses attracting people to Greeley (e.g. breweries)


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• Raise one another up as producing consumers

• Attract new employees

• To continue to grow ethnic businesses/restaurants. Maybe a “little Mexico” section of town

• Any business that could compliment Leprino

• Increased employment offerings broader range of choice in lifestyle/entertainment

• Re-emergence of oil and gas industry

• Make 9th St from 16th Ave to 23rd a cute Latino development for businesses

• Small B12

Human Capital

• Inclusion and representation that reflects the community

• School district has over 100 languages

• UNC growth with international population

• Recognizing diverse work forces

• Average age

• Foster programs to reduce strain on social programs generation self-pride


• Bring in new technologies that can grow into future needs (sustainable energies, etc.)

• Health services across city (N,S,E,W)

• Rivers, lakes and development

• Land and water availability

• Expand growth to the north

• Challenge to keep up with growth

• Expand O street to I-25

• Develop more employment, amenities and community engagement opportunities for the 50+ age group

• Set aside more nature areas to offset increased population

• Transportation network and access can be leveraged for manufacturing facilities

New Industries

• Improve public education to attract more R&D companies

• Partner with UNC to get more tech businesses to Greeley

• Soft manufacturing, technology sector, greater emphasis on organic/local food movement

• Health care industry expansion seems like a promising area to pursue

• Alternative energy (wind, solar)

• Music

• Support energy development and attract alternative energy industries

• Bring in different businesses

• A Denver tech center-type development. Big!

• Foster more diversification of industry. More small business

• Trying to encourage the hospitality industry

• Restaurant and food/beverage industries

• Diversification with continued growth and focus on manufacturing and business development we can “grow” our health

• With Greeley being more affordable than Loveland/FoCo, a couple technology high paying jobs are sure to capture/retain residents

• Attraction of high tech industry with availability of low cost utility access

Regulations/Processes

• Don’t mess so much with city intrusion, allow market forces to shape city

• Be more supportive of business needs. Less regulation

• Incentives to work/live here

Workforce Development

• District 6 programming and education employment

• More skilled labor training – VOTEC

• Need job and training opportunities for people with development and physical disabilities

• Teach people to live well “on the cheap” and budget for meaningful “extravagances” that improve their quality of life


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• Money management training for youth

• Create more job shadow internships and training for youth

• Farm UNC graduates office type workers

• Improvements in school career pathways

• Capitalize on education facilities to train workers for local jobs

• Coaching community on finances

• Education of parents immigrants

Celebrations

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants with respect to economic health and diversification. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as celebrations related to economic health and diversification over the past 5 to 10 years. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Economic Vitality

• Employment growth

• We are growing

• Weld workers, regional draw for Greeley, and the pride of our city downtown hotel

• Continued oil and gas energy jobs and revenues

• Oil/gas energy center of Colorado

• Businesses continue to come to Greeley

• Low unemployment rate

• Oil and gas development

• Downtown Greeley has greatly improved over the last 10 years

• Low unemployment

• Businesses that are healthy economically

• Many of our top 10 employers do not seem to be too vulnerable from year to year

• Major growth in energy

• Growth of the energy industry

• Growth from 2000s

• Employment diversity

• Increase in building activity

• Relatively low unemployment

Human Capital

• Attempt to meet emergent work force requirements in education

• Variety of ethnic groups and businesses/restaurants

• We are a diverse community (age/ethnicity/cultures).

• Diversity of population

• Many large employers like our labor force


• Number of jobs in education

• The new Guadalupe Center

• Family fun-plex expansion is a good thing

• New convention center

• Plenty of health care facilities

• UNC campus commons construction, growth of UNC in the future


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• New hospital, weld works, hotel and convention center

• Recent investment in this development such as the hotel/conference center

• Centerplace is a good node of business

New Industries/Employers

• Smuckers! Bring a similar company directly to Greeley

• Nurturing diversity such as brewery, light industry

• Attracting large employers (Leprino, Noble)

• Leprino!

• Increase in local food, farm-to-table incentives. It is shameful that our city in the heart of agricultural wealth has food deserts

• Many different industries contributing to employment

• Attracting industries like Leprino

• Leprino foods, center place, etc.

• The downtown hotel

• Additional business in west Greeley

• Company with wage balances

• New company Leprino

• New economic companies

• New small businesses

• Large industries and employers

• Development of Leprino and re-development of east site of Leprino

• Downtown businesses

• Increased development in hospitality and health care sector

• New industry by Leprino

• Few “middle of the road” eateries. In between fast food and nice sit-down.

Partnerships

• The cooperation of the three educational institutions in the community

• UNC, Aims, District 6 and packing plant participate in community initiatives

• The downtown development group has been awesome!

• The continued re-development of the downtown area

• Collaborative relationship between organizations

Other

• Imagine Greeley!

• Making progress on odor

Imagine Greeley Thought Wall Summary: March 2017 - Growth and City Form

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GROWTH AND CITY FORM

Challenges

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as challenges with respect to growth and city form. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as challenges facing the City and community regarding growth and city form. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Community Character

• Develop cultural diversity

• We don’t yet have a positive physical identity state-wide (like Pearl Street Mall and Olde Town)

• We have separate sub-communities – we lack integration

• Pockets of poverty and wealth

• Balancing “function vs. form”

• Keep improving image of Greeley and the area. Bring in higher paying jobs

• Challenge with City shape- west vs. downtown trends and isolation

• We have suburban attitude

• I’d like to see more city design to bring lives together

• Perception

Compatibility

• Integrating residential and industrial in west Greeley

• Greeley needs to take a closer look at how their planning is turning out! Don’t put high rise condos and apartments in nice quite apartments

• Avoiding apartment ghettos

• Appropriate land use

• Drilling in middle of residential zoning

• Dealing with oil and gas wells in expanded city area & environmental safety

• Keeping oil and gas development away from people


• New job development

• Balance workforce against existing 34 & 25

• Support better co-working between neighboring communities

• Increase medium income in the city

• Smaller communities and businesses are largely ignored

• Make easier to start new businesses

Growth Areas

• Limited ability to spread south

• Greeley is growing too long and narrow. It needs to grow north of Poudre River


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• Growth to east

• Growth to north

• Infill build out

• Corridor 34 and I-25?

• UNC – Downtown

• Annex more and pay for infrastructure

Growth Management

• Allow Greeley to slow down. We do not want to be another Fort Collins or Denver. People were attracted to Greeley for its small town appeal. If they want big city they will move.

• Providing community separators

• Growth needs to be mitigated to not exceed city infrastructure

• Challenge responding to increasing traffic and burdens on infrastructure

• Prevent outright sprawl

• Please leave the river as wild as you can

• Fight urge to sprawl westward over density/infill

• Fight desire to sprawl westward over density & compact infill

• Need to limit population growth

• Sprawl

• To keep growth contiguous-not sprawl

• Sprawl- houses without shopping in both old and new neighborhoods

• Population challenge: roads, school, infrastructure, crime

• Concentrating growth only out west is creating traffic problems

• Need more green belts and decompression zones

• To plan for growth for the next 20 years

• To maintain controlled growth, good zoning practices

• Challenge simplistic population projection—could be way too low. Exponential growth is possibility

Housing

• Single family lots “ready” to build

• Residential development- how do you establish healthy growth

• Affordable housing for low income

• House the homeless

• Different housing types and development opportunities

• City development fees cost prohibitive for affordable housing

• New homes are built, but are they affordable? Can water and sewer support them? Traffic?

• More single family homes; less apartments and condos

• Influx of buyers (more commuters) seeking better home values; impact on schools and services

Infrastructure, Service, and Amenities

• Overcrowded and empty schools due to boundaries and neighborhoods

• Rivers lakes develop

• Do we want growth? If we do, we pay roads/taxes

• Actual building at Anna Gimmseted for Youth Enrichment

• More trees/improvement for areas with vegetation east Greeely

• Love the form, but is the water swimmable? Drinkable? Ponds, lakes, poudre

• Grocery stores downtown

• Rivers – 2!! Control/make some areas livable & develop—think San Antonio

• Maintaining city services throughout geographic growth- i.e., parks in for west developments

• Capital for infrastructure

• To not outgrow city services fire, police, etc.

• Parks and walkways

• Need for planned infrastructure

• Disinvesment by citizens in areas on the east side of Greeley. As housing expands to 104th Ave, residents may be tempted to drive west for services, dining, entertainment instead of heading to downtown


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• Need to continue to support public schools to prevent growth from overwhelming SD6

• Have infrastructure in place with new areas

• Providing infrastructure for a 40+ square mile city

• Infrastructure to support additional residents

• Protect our water—preserve wetlands/drainageways

Land Use

• Use of space

• Mixed-development to ensure people can walk/bike to schools, churches, shopping and services

• Industrial- pockets of development locations; accessibility to Denver

• What to do and how to develop open spaces within city limits (where to expand and for what purpose)?

• Secure available land

• Can we help revitalize the eastern part of town so that “downtown” can truly be the center of town? Industrial brownfields could be low income housing and housing for UNC students

• Land use zoning

Transportation

• Traffic

• A real Comprehensive Traffic study- people everywhere complain. West Greeley is getting more and more congested

• Transportation access in and out of Greeley

• Bike- car- taxi; Uber- bus- trains (bullet) – as need and ridership

• Walkability/non-motor vehicle

• Traffic through previously quiet residential neighorhoods

• More public transportation

• Connectivity between multi-modal infrastructure

• More multi-modal transportation; support walking/biking

• Transportation corridor feeding

• Public transportation needs to increase

• Roads

• Need effective, efficient, and reliable transit system

• Ease of getting around Hwy85/11th/23rd/35th/47th/ and Hwy 34/16th/10th

• Traffic: -congestion, access, flow

• Downtown still lacks traffic

Other

• Meet needs of our diverse population

• Having a city council that doesn’t demonstrate bullying but clear communication

• Some growth under the radar

• How to integrate developmentally disabled and others with limitations into business growth

• Keeping momentum


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Opportunities

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as opportunities with respect to growth and city form. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as opportunities facing the City and community regarding growth and city form. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Community Character

• I really liked the word “compact” in relation to development. We are (were) an ag community. How can we help ag owners keep their land for production versus selling land/water. We are ag!

• Protecting agricultural lands

• Annexing land has been good, but may be able to help w/zoning and “look” of businesses. Curb appeal.

• Bullet Greeley at train intersection!

• Adding artistic noise abatement to transportation corridors

• Create a great cultural city

• Support and maintain current healthy neighborhoods

• City pride in cleanliness, management and upkeep

• As the seat of the largest, most diversified county we are challenged to bring rural/urban needs together


• Opportunity to partner with Windsor green tech to grow economic diversity

• More development of industrial land to support industry

• New business

• Attracting new business

• Improved economy

• Employment pool to attract business

• Cultivate broad range of industries

• Already have business system in place – can grow from there

• New residents = jobs to serve them

Growth

• City’s population is growing

• Western expansion while maintaining downtown renewal

• Go west and north—keep building downtown, will keep UNC students here spending $

• Higher density

• Merge Evans into Greeley


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• Maintain steady growth rates while increasing standard of living

• More growth = more revenue= more interest from large companies = more employment…

• North and west growth

• Designate prime land for housing

• Expansion areas east

• Build a new grocery store on NW corner of 11th Ave and 11th Street

• Emphasize compact development over sprawl

• North Greeley development

• To grow at “our” pace. Sustainable – not to fast or slow

• We might become more diverse and have access to quality services (restaurants, entertainment)

• Plan for sustainable design and transportation needs

Infrastructure and Services

• Greeley’s water supplies than most others—but are not unlimited

• Developing support services for aging populations

• Provide access to all our schools, including west-side charters

• More ability for citizen food banks

• City incentives on water

Land Supply

• Prepare lots for residential development

• Great to hear how much undeveloped land Greeley has!

• Develop vacant land

• Land available for development – fill between Fox Run/Cedarwoods/St. Michael’s Promontory

• Plenty of acreage within the growth area to expand

• Vacant land

Parks, Trails, and Open Space

• Open areas

• Large areas of outdoor recreation

• Great PTOL Plan (build it out!)

• Develop “blueway” as well as “greenways” (rivers and ditches)

• Great Bike Master Plan – built it out!

• Need more parks and open space for wildlife. Example- purchase more land along Poudre River Trail

• Areas for more gardens and parks

• Continue to preserve undeveloped open space like the eastern edge of the lot east of Centerplace shopping center (trees would love to stay!)

• We have growing open space and growing diversity

• Concentrate growth more densely to accommodate natural community buffers

• Small parks mixed into neighborhoods

• Before building it all – set aside those zones in between

Redevelopment and Reinvestment

• Better focus on downtown and north side

• More densification and transit options

• 8th Avenue Core

• Opportunity to densify downtown to become more self-sustainable

• Utilize hold HP complex for new mall development

• To repurpose and revise the downtown area—buildings, purpose, use

• Improve reputation of east Greeley/downtown/University District and attract new investment

• Incentives for redevelopment

• Develop “eye sore” areas

• Downtown development – remove old buildings/downtown motel

• Downtown area needs to continue to be a primary development area – look to grow residential in all directions, not just west

• Rebuild old buildings

• Revitalize more of the older/low-income neighborhoods

• Instead of building new neighborhoods, rehab buildings and infrastructure in older parts of town


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Transportation

• Roads/public transportation

• Walkable/bikeable community

• More bike/walking paths connecting neighborhoods

• More roundabouts (with safe bike and pedestrian crossings)

• Walkability to businesses from neighborhoods

• Transportation

• Increase walkability

• Roads upkeep

• To coordinate very closely with Evans and roadways southward

• 392, 85 Bypass, 34 By-ass- and Two Rivers Parkway are a great start at a sort of circle. Consider smaller circle inside and larger outside

Celebrations

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as celebrations with respect to growth and city form. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as celebrations related to growth and city form over the last 5 to 10 years. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Community Character

• Racial/ethnic/age diversity

• Ethnic activities have grown and are a great part of city events

• Greeley is an attractive community for new residents

• Ability to attract new residents

• The current comp plan and work is creating a better image and a more livable city

• Still a small-town feel with lots of community spirit

Downtown

• Downtown development

• Downtown Development

• Downtown renewal is looking good

• A more active downtown

• New hotel downtown!

• Some revitalization of the downtown area

• Continued investment in downtown

• DDA – all the activities in downtown and the businesses coming in


• Still most affordable in the state

• Greeley Unexpected Campaign

• Survived the recession—steady, overall reasonable growth rate

• Small businesses and diversity

• Greeley Unexpected

• More tax revenue


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• Average income is higher than before

Growth and Development

• We have done a good job of not approving development at the expense of “infill”

• Growth moving toward I-25

• Love people hearing how great Greeley is, and that a demand for new housing is a thing or challenge

• Success: overall population growth and image

• Have maintained steady growth

• 2% annual growth rate- Greeley is desirable to potential new residents

• Sweet spot of 100K population puts Greeley on the radar for businesses to come here

• Great increase in population

• 10th Street infill - 23rd-47th

• Growth on the west side of Greeley

• Keeping growth incremental and compact (no leap frog)

• Good growth in residential development

• Already planning ahead for growth

• Organized growth

• Centerplace development!

• Growth and structures in West Greeley

• Greeley can encourage smart growth by disciplined fee management

• Increasing higher density housing

• Steady population growth and accommodation thereof

• Growing retail development

• Foresight in annexing land well in advance of need

• Managed well—good development standards

Infrastructure, Service, and Amenities

• Get partnership with District 6 for bus passes

• Arts

• So far we have adequate facilities and services

• New police department- location/ability to expand!

• Family Funplex, Ice Haus, Events Village

• Better eastward infrastructure

• New police station- reviving downtown area

• Good start on bike infrastructure

• Many new opportunities for entertainment, activities—recognition in Northern Colorado as a grown up city

• Quality of life projects—top rate, add value (e.g., rec facilities/infrastructure)

• To have amenities that a larger city can bring—museums, etc.

Parks, Trails, and Open Space

• Parks and green space!

• Greeley’s park system

• Celebration of our open space and park growth and trends

• $ for open space

• Parks

• Poudre Trail buildout

• The amount of open space and parks

Transportation

• Increased lanes of traffic on business 10 west of 71st Avenue

• Sidewalks are shoveled well in snow

• 8th Avenue improvement and road – right sizing in east Greeley (13th Street)

• Improving the bus routes to be more practical for students in the City

Other

• There are some such instances- thank you.

• City planning

• “Imagine Greeley”!

• Leadership who makes decisions

• Effective planning to handle growth

• G-Town Promise

• ACE

• What will occur when the downtown post office doesn’t lock its doors at 5pm

Imagine Greeley Thought Wall Summary: March 2017 - Other

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OTHER

Challenges

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants with respect to other challenges. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as other challenges facing the City and community. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Community

• How to integrate volunteers in the 22-62 age groups into the city government

• Greeley needs to establish a distinct and positive identity- push music and downtown

• Keeping younger generations in Greeley – providing well-paying jobs

• How can we retain younger residents to live and work in Greeley

• Replace/rebuild Greeley West High School

• Getting enough dedicated volunteers for run city and boards

• Poverty is a much bigger problem in our community than is ever publicly addressed—we need to convene a major “poverty summit” to address all other plans for growth

• Getting more residents to volunteer

Diversity

• Lack of Hispanic/Latino/refugee representation at this event!

• Integrating our diverse groups into the community groups- refugees, immigrants, Muslims, developmentally disabled, handicapped, etc.

• We’re too ghettoized. Need more community integration

• Lack of racial diversity

Education

• City needs to help make public education better

• Support for School District #6 MLO!

• Pay teachers more- pass MLO!


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• Providing quality education for increased population

• How to develop a widespread system of after-school co-curricular activity opportunities for kids at schools

• How do we support education and pass MLO?

Public Safety

• Highway 85 drug traffic

• Overall, Greeley driving habits- tailgating, speeding, and not stopping at red lights

Regional Collaboration

• Getting all the communities to work together (Northern Colorado)

• How to work better with County government to grow better together

• Helping our border friends (Evans) with their crime

• UNC needs to pitch in more

Transportation

• Bus transportation, more frequent, easier access

• Mass transit access

• How to best coordinate with Evans on vehicle routes south toward Denver and bike and pedestrian connectivity

Other

• Keeping up quality services for an aging population

• How to form a park, trails and recreation district – multicity- with tax support for park and trail purchases and maintenance

• Bust from oil will happen – are we prepared?

• Exclude Boulder from livability categories

• Key trends summary report-should use the same 4 communities for the 4-city averages compared w/Greeley for accuracy of comparisons across all areas

• Environmental concerns should be #1 consideration in all decisions (yes!)

• Large oil and gas sites

Opportunities

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants with respect to other opportunities. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.


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Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as opportunities for the City and community in other areas. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Community

• Attract millennials

• Drawing folks to the community

• Let beer brewers/tap rooms serve food

• Maybe a volunteer opportunity database

• Greeley loves lunch! More food trucks!

• Yes to food trucks!

• Build larger homeless shelter compounds with services, workforce, self-sustaining ecosystem. Homeless run homeless

• With aging population to integrate housing closer to walkable shopping and entertainment, etc.

• Build downtown parking structure


• A hi-tech, new-tech aviation business and commercial center around the airport

• Using strong and quality healthcare and collaboration with health programs at UNC, Aims, and IBMC. This could be a STAR in our community

Environment

• Please figure out how to honor the natural legacy of the area

• No oil wells in city limits

• Recycling program for the city- free for residents!

• Locate oil and gas sites in community separators

• Increase access to recycling

Equity

• Integration of the immigrant population

• Understanding and support of minority populations

• Education- need to get equity and access back into our schools: technology, books (home language), infrastructure, teachers


• Need more areas for the spirit for hiking, walking

• The Poudre Trail needs to go east to the Platte confluence and be part of the Colorado Trail!

Transportation

• In planning for growth westward, extent the bicycle route - IceHaus- FunPlex- Promontory and beyond

• Building a transportation system that links all of northern Colorado

• Bike paths/shoulders on all roads – city and county

• Keep looking at lessening traffic congestion

Other

• Remove Boulder from the key trends report – not a comparable community


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Celebrations

Results at a Glance: The following word cloud depicts the frequency of common themes posted to the Thought Wall by workshop participants as celebrations in other areas. The larger the word, the more frequently the theme was mentioned.

Thought Wall Comments: The following comments were submitted by workshop participants as celebrations in other areas over the last 5 to 10 years. Comments are organized under overarching topics.

Arts and Culture

• Art district

• Cultural events

Community

• The Downtown Development Association

• Growth in diverse population

• Over a ten year span, I have seen good progress in downtown development, business system, and city standards

• “Imagine Greeley!”

• Bright futures program

• Growing population


• Poudre River trail

• Poudre River trail – thank you.

• Parks are awesome

• Greeley staff are contributing to regional trails integration in a leadership role – kudos

• The increase in open space which reserves lands for future parks and preserves and natural areas in the city!

• Open Space acquisition

Quality of Life

• Quality of life (small amount of driving)

• Focus on the arts, growth of festivals, downtown revitalization, hotel parking –love Greeley

Transportation

• US 34 Corridor

thought wall summary: march 2017 -...

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